Improvement in the art of chromatic printing



J. CARSON. Art of Chromatic Printing.

No. 221,215. Patented Nov. 4, 1879.

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N-PETERS, FHOTD-LITNUGRAFHER, WAsHlriG'rQN, 0v 0,-

UNITED STAT S JOHN CARSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE ART OF CHROMATIC PRINTING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 22 L215, dated November4, 1879; application filed July 9, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GARsoN, of Brooklyn, Kings county, State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Art ofColor-Printing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to improve the appearance of the-classof printing, whether by letter-press, die-stamping, engraved plate, orlithographic process, in which two or more impressions of differentcolors are used, and also to facilitate the production of such work. Insuch work, as heretofore done, the different dies, 830., have thedifferent parts of the design engraved on them, irrespective of therelative position of the design to the sides of the dies, 850., and areplaced on the bed of the machine, irrespective of position, so thatafter the first impression, which is generally the ground-work of thedesign, has been run off, the second die is placed in the machine andits correct registration with the first impression is only arrived at,after a number of trials, by altering and adjusting the stops orguidepins against which the edges of the paper are placed. It is almostimpossible to obtain a perfect registration in this manner, besides, theloss due to the waste of paper and time consumed.

To make clear the manner in which I overcome all these objections, Iwill refer to the accompanyin g drawings, which represent my improvementin the art of color-printing as done by engraved dies,the applicabilityof it to letter-press, plate, and lithographic printing bein g readilyunderstood from the following description, in conjunction with thedrawings, without my particularly describing the various styles ofprinting.

Figure 1 represents thefoundation or groundwork die in place againstfixed guide-pieces of the machine with a sheet of paper (shown in dottedlines) with the stops against its edges. Figs. 2 and 3 represent twoother die-blocks engraved in parts corresponding to two different colorsin the perfected design, and Fig. 4 represents part ofa sheet of paperwith theperfooted design impressed thereon.

a represents the bed of the machine, which is provided with theguide-pieces a ct. All

-the blocks 1) ed, on each of which parts of the design corresponding tothe different colors of the completed work are to be engraved, are madeto fit snugly against the guide-pieces a a without any play, so thatthey may be removed and replaced as often as necessary, and

yet always assume the same position. The ground-work or foundation ofthe design is engraved in the block b, as shown. This is then placed onthe bed a against theguide-pieces a a, and an impression taken intransfer-ink on a sheet of paper. The guide-pins or stops 6 e are thenset to the edges of the paper he I fore it is removed from the die. Theblank block 0 is then placed on the bed a, the block b and the paperhaving been taken away. The

paper is then placed back again against the stops 0 c, and theimpression transferred from the paper to the block 0. Instead of using asheet of paper for transferring the design the tympan'itself may be usedfor this purpose. The block 0 is then removed and engraved at the partor parts only which corresponds or correspond to one of the colors to beprinted. The block d is then placed in the machine against theguidepieces a. a, and a similar transfer made on it, which is engravedat the parts corresponding to another color, and so on. As many blocksare thus prepared as there are colors or impressions in the perfecteddesign.

Now, it will be observed, that no matter how often the dicsare placed inposition on the bed a (which is done by simply placing them against theguide-pieces a a and looking them up in place, if necessary, by any ofthe usual methods) or removed therefrom, or in what order they are soplaced to be printed from, they will alwaysimpress all similar sheets ofpaper, when placed against the stops 6 c, in identically the same partscorresponding to each of their respective part or parts of the design,ifthe stops 6 c hwe not been disturbed, so that the registrations of allthe colors are perfect without involving any of the nice adjustmentsrequired by the old method.

f represents the design as printed from the dies 1) c d, the ground-workor outline being impressed from the die I), the Vertical shading whichrepresents one color from the die 0, and

the horizontal shading representing another color from the die (I.

All that is necessary to do to print the different impressions onditferent machines (the dies being prepared in the manner as aforesaid)is to have the beds of the machines provided with guide-piecescorresponding to the guide-pieces a a. of the first machine, or themachine in which the transfers from the foundation-die to the others aremade. The die to be used in any one of them is placed in the firstmachine, a little mucilage or paste being put on its face. A sheet ofthe paper to be printed is then placed against the stops 0 c and animpression taken, the impression being allowed to dwell long enough togive the adherent material time to sul'ficiently set; or the sheet ofpaper may be fastened to the die by means of any suitable clampingdevice, so that the die may be taken out of the first machine with theadjusting sheet of paper adhering or fastened to it and placed on thebed of the machine in which it is to be used, and against theguide-pieces of it corresponding to the guide=pieces a a of the firstmachine. The guide pins or stops 0 cut this machine are then set to theedge of the adjusting sheet of paper while it is still adhering to the(lie. Then this machine is ready to work, after the adjusting sheet ofpaper is removed, and so 011 with as many machines as there are colorsto be printed, if so desired, the registration of all of them being asperfect as if they were all done on one machine.

In'letter-press printing two sides ofthe chase would correspond to theguide-pieces a a, the cuts or electrotypes being set against the sidesof the chase or with a delinite amount of furniture between them.

This method of printing enables me to combine all the differentprocesses of colonprinting, if desired, as will be seen from the above.

Instead of using the fixed guides to hold the dies,'&c., in place on thebed of the machine, dowel-pins may be used for this purpose.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. As an improvement in the art of colorprinting, the method oftransferring and preparing from the foundation or ground-work dic,plate, or stone, the various parts of the design on different dies,plates, or stones, by first placing the foundation-die against fixedguidepieccs; second, taking an impression in transferink on the tympanor on a sheet of paper, the stops of the machine being set to its edgesbefore removal; third, substituting an unengraved die-block for thefirst die and taking an impressionthereonfrom said transfer-sheet; andfourth, engraving said second die-block in the desired places,substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. As an improvement in the art of colorprinting, preparing two or moredie-blocks in one machine, substantially in the manner set forth, andthen securing to them sheets of paper while they are separately held inthe first machine, and then placing them against the fixed guides ofother machines corresponding to the fixed guide-pieces of the firstmachine, with the adjusting. sheets of paper adhering or fastened tothem, the guide pins or steps of said other machines being then setagainst the edges of the adjusting sheets of paper, as and for thepurpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of June,1879.

JOHN CARSON.

Witnesses:

ALFRED SrIEDLoeK, II. D. \VILLIAMS.

